Seating pad with woven cover

ABSTRACT

A seat assembly includes a seat with a hip/thigh support, a back support and at least one gap between the hip/thigh support and the back support. A seating pad assembly is positioned removably on the seat and has a foam cushion made at least partly of a viscoelastic foam and having a dimensionally stable woven fabric cover. Pelvic and upper back areas of a person sitting on the seat deform the viscoelastic foam significantly to provide a comfortable support and to define anchors for the seating pad assembly. The outer cover extends between those anchors for effectively supporting and cradling the lumbar back area of the person in the seat.

This application claims priority on U.S. Provisional Application No.62/636,965 filed on Mar. 1, 2018, the entire disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an accessory to make a seat more comfortable.

Related Art

Travel by any mode of transportation, such as planes, trains, buses andcars, is rarely comfortable and can be extremely uncomfortable on longtrips. The length of time after which a seat will be consideredcomfortable varies widely based on the characteristics of the seat andsensitivity of the traveler. Many travelers become extremelyuncomfortable after an hour or two on a transportation seat, especiallysince seats intended for shorter trips generally do not recline orrecline only a small amount. On the other hand, intercontinental flightscan last in excess of twelve hours and are common for many businesspeople. Most business travelers have little time for recovery at the endof a business trip, regardless of the mode of travel, and are expectedto be alert and functioning for a business meeting shortly after theirarrival. Vacation travelers suffer from the same inconveniences asbusiness travelers and are likely to require a considerable recoverytime before being able to enjoy the vacation. Uncomfortable travel isnot limited to airlines. In particular, trips via train, bus or car cantake longer than an intercontinental airline trip. Travel relateddiscomfort also is not limited to the time spent on the vehicle. Moreparticularly, travelers often spend hours in very uncomfortable seats atan airline, train or bus terminal while they are waiting for a transferor a delayed departure. Seats at a terminal often are less comfortablethan seats on a plane, train or bus. Terminal seats and seats on anytransportation vehicle often have a gap between the hip/thigh supportand the back support.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,894 relates to a seating pad assembly that isparticularly well suited for use on airlines or other transportationvehicles. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,894 is incorporatedherein by reference. The seating pad assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.7,461,894 comprises a foam that consists of or comprises a viscoelasticfoam with sufficient thickness and resiliency to conform to the shape ofthe passenger and the shape of the seat without having the passengerbottom out on the seat. Thus, the viscoelastic foam seating pad allowsthe passenger to be supported comfortably above the seating surfaces andwithout being affected by gaps that are likely to exist between verticaland horizontal components of the seat or between other movablecomponents of the seat.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,894 explains that the seating pad assembly includesa cover mounted over the viscoelastic cushion. The patent explains thatthe cover assembly is stretchable or sufficiently loose to deform easilyinto gaps or other pinch points defined in the seat. Thus, the coverassembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,894 will not restrict or limitthe ability of the viscoelastic material to flow or otherwise conform tothe shapes of the seat and the traveler, and the nonrestrictive coverassembly will move easily with the viscoelastic material as theviscoelastic material changes its shape.

Continued research in the field of seating pads for transportation seatshas led to information that previously was not considered. For example,transportation seats vary widely from one another in terms ofdimensions, resiliency and the locations of surface discontinuities thatare likely to lead to passenger discomfort. Additionally, passengersalso differ widely from one another in terms of size, weight and comfortexpectations. Still further, the passenger and the seating pad interactdifferently with one another at different locations along the pad andalong the passenger. For example, the pelvic area of the passenger willdefine an area of weight concentration on the pad when the seat is notinclined or inclined only partly, and the pelvic area will benefitgreatly from the effects of the viscoelastic foam cushion. The upperback region will be another area that applies forces to the viscoelasticfoam cushion when the passenger leans back and/or when the seat isreclined or partly reclined, and the upper back will receive thesupporting benefits of the pad. The lumbar region of the back is an areathat often is subject to back problems. However, the lumber regioncurves away from the seat when the seat is erect or partly reclined.Accordingly, the lumber region will exert less force or no force on theviscoelastic foam cushion, and hence will receive a smaller benefit fromthe viscoelastic foam cushion. Thus, for some passengers and for somevehicular seats, the area of the back that has the greatest potentialfor back problems may not achieve the benefits associated with theviscoelastic foam cushion.

A seating pad for a transportation seat should extend along the entirefront-rear dimension of the horizontal hip/thigh support of the seat andalong the back support of the seat through the lumbar region and toupper areas of the back. However, seating pads for long distance traveldesirably should extend sufficiently along the seat back to support thehead of the traveler when the seat is reclined and to support at leastthe calves of the traveler when the seat is reclined and/or the legs areelevated.

Profit motives have caused most airlines to reduce the dimensions ofeach seat to fit at least one extra row of seats on the plane. Similarproblems arise with other modes of transportation. As a result, thereare significant differences between seat dimensions from one airline toanother from one class of travel to another and from one transportationmode to another. A traveler who appreciates the additional comfort of aviscoelastic foam pad may want a pad that extends sufficiently along theseat back to support the head of the traveler and sufficiently forwardfrom the seatback to support the legs on an elevated and extended legrest. However, the different dimensions of transportation seatcomplicate efforts of travelers to ensure comfort on all of their trips.A pad that is sufficiently long to accommodate the largest of theairline seats would be too long for airlines that have smaller seats orfor most automobiles. Conversely, a pad dimensioned for use in apassenger car could be too short for use on a first class airline seat.As a result, the passenger would be burdened with the additional weightand size of the large viscoelastic foam pad during the duration of thetrip when the passenger is not actually on the plane. Furthermore, thepassenger is not permitted to fold the top of a long pad over the backsupport of airline seat and into an area that would intrude on the spaceof a passenger sitting behind that seat. Additionally, a long pad thatextended onto the floor would be easy for a passenger to trip on. Apassenger who wanted a special pad for each of the variously dimensionedtransportation seats would incur the cost penalty of purchasing pluralseating pads when only one of the seating pads can be used on anyparticular trip or with any particular mode of transportation. Theseproblems could be solved for air travelers by having airlines supply theseating pads for all seats or as an option that could be rented by atraveler on any particular flight. However, the airline then would havea problem of storing the unused pads on the plane. Furthermore, at leastthe outer cover of each pad would require cleaning between successiveuses by the different travelers, thereby imposing a significant costpenalty on the airlines at a time when both the airlines and theconsumers are sensitive to transportation costs. This possible approachwould not help for travel in personal automobiles.

Passenger comfort and convenience also is affected by the need totransport the pad to and from the transportation vehicle. The totalweight of the pad and the thickness of the pad can affect theconvenience for the passenger. Even a small reduction in the thicknessof the pad would be well received commercially if that thicknessreduction did not have an adverse effect on passenger comfort whenseated.

Passenger comfort also can be affected by the pad coverings. In thisregard, the seating pad assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,894has an inner covering that is intended to protect the viscoelastic foamcushion and an outer covering that is intended to be more attractive andpossibly to carry trademarks or decorative images. The teaching of U.S.Pat. No. 7,461,894 is to have the covers be sufficiently loose andstretchable to permit the viscoelastic foam cushion to deform easilyinto gaps or other pinch points on the seat. U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,894explains that the seating pad assembly includes a cover assembly mountedover the viscoelastic foam cushion. The patent explains that the coverassembly is stretchable or sufficiently loose to deform easily into gapsor other pinch points defined in the seat. More particularly, theteaching in the prior art is that the cover assembly should not restrictor limit the ability of the viscoelastic material to flow or otherwiseconform to the shapes of the seat and the traveler so that thenonrestrictive cover assembly will move easily with the viscoelasticfoam material as the viscoelastic foam material changes its shape.However, a loose inner fabric has the potential to bunch up and causediscomfort to the passenger. Furthermore, better lumbar support would bewell received.

In view of the above, it is an object of the invention to provide aseating pad assembly that provides good support and comfort for allareas of the passenger that contact the seating pad assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seating pad assemblythat provides enhanced support and comfort for the lumbar region of theback.

A further object of the invention is to provide a seating pad assemblythat prevents bunching or creasing of a cover.

Still another object of the invention is to maximize the comfort for apassenger on any trip without requiring the passenger to carry a seatingpad that is larger than needed.

SUMMARY

The invention relates to a seating pad assembly for use with a seat,such as a transportation seat. The invention further relates to thecombination of a seating pad assembly and seat, such as a transportationseat. The transportation seat may be an airline seat, but also may be aseat employed on trains, buses and/or private automobiles. The seatincludes a generally horizontal hip/thigh support and a seat backpivotally mounted to the hip and thigh support. The seat may furtherinclude a foot rest. The seat back and/or the foot rest preferably aremounted for pivoting relative to the hip/thigh support. Accordingly,seams, cracks, creases, gaps or spaces exist between the back rest andthe hip/thigh support and between the hip/thigh support and the legextension. Decorative seams also exist on many transportation seats andcreate surface irregularities that can be sensed by the person sittingin the seat. Some of these gaps exceed 1 cm in width and/or depth. Theseat may further include arm rests spaced from one another byapproximately the width of the seat. The spacing between the arm rests,and hence the width of the seat, may vary in accordance with the mode oftransportation and the class of service. Additionally, the front to reardimension or the vertical dimension of these various components of theseat vary from one seat to another, from one transportation provider toanother and from one class of service to another.

The seating pad assembly includes a foam that consists of or comprises aviscoelastic foam. For example, the foam may consist entirely of aviscoelastic foam or may be a laminated structure with one or morelayers of a viscoelastic material laminated to a foam that is notviscoelastic. Alternatively, a viscoelastic foam may be disposed wherethe person normally will sit, while a different type of foam may bebonded to the viscoelastic in lateral regions of the seating pad. Thepad also may include a gel layer or gel beads incorporated into thefoam. The foam cushion of the pad may be generally rectangular. The foamcushion may have a width corresponding approximately to the width of theintended seat and a length approximately equal to the sum of the lengthof the hip/thigh support and the length of the back support for the seat(e.g. a typical coach class seat, an automobile seat or the like).Specifically, the viscoelastic foam cushion for economy class travel maybe at least about 40-50 inches long and preferably about 47 inches long.The viscoelastic foam cushion for economy class travel also may be about18-20 inches wide and about 1 inch thick.

The seating pad assembly also comprise an outer cover that may beremovable from the viscoelastic foam cushion for cleaning as needed. Theouter cover may be decorative and may be formed from a material thatwill resist stains, such as those that are attributable to spilled foodor beverages. At least one side of the outer cover also may have regionswith friction coefficients that will resist slipping of the seating padassembly on the seat. For example, the outer pad may have local areassupplemented with an elastomer or rubber material that will exhibit africtional engagement with the surface of the seat to prevent slippageor collapsing of the seating pad assembly during use. The outer coveralso may be made with fibers that have anti-slip characteristics or thatare modified to have such characteristics. The seating pad assembly alsomay comprise an inner cover for protecting the viscoelastic foamcushion, particularly during cleaning. The inner cover may remain on thepad during laundering of the pad, but also may be removed to be washedseparately from the pad.

At least one of the inner and outer covers of one embodiment is formedfrom a woven material, such as woven cotton yarns, woven polyesteryarns, a woven blend of cotton and polyester yarns or woven yarns madeof other dimensionally stable synthetic yarns (e.g. Rayon) with orwithout cotton. The cover is dimensioned to closely engage andessentially encapsulate the viscoelastic foam cushion. Woven materialcan roll and bend, but is dimensionally stable and therefore will notstretch. The woven cover may be constructed of a fabric having a threadcount in a range from a minimum warp and weft of approximately 110×76 toa maximum warp and weft of approximately 173×113. Additionally, thefabric may have a yarn size in a range of 32×32 to 50×50 singles.Furthermore, the fabric may have a weight of approximately 3.4 oz. persquare yard to 4.4 oz. per square yard.

Unlike knitted materials, woven fabrics may bend to follow the generalalignment of the hip/thigh support and the back support, but will notstretch in response to forces exerted on the materials. The use of aclose-fitting woven cover on a viscoelastic foam cushion significantlyaffects the way the cushion will react to forces exerted by a passengersitting on a transportation seat that has a viscoelastic foam cushionremovably positioned thereon. In particular, the viscoelastic foam willbehave like a denser and more firm foam and therefore will be somewhatless likely to flow into small cracks and crevices in the transportationseat. However, the seating pad assembly still will conform to the shapeof areas of the body that exert forces on the viscoelastic foam cushionand will enable an effective floating of the passenger on theviscoelastic foam above the surface discontinuities in the seat.Additionally, the close-fitting woven cover will prevent theviscoelastic foam from flowing into the corner between the hip/thighsupport and the seat back when the seatback is in a generally erectorientation to the hip/thigh support. Rather, the seating pad with theclose-fitting woven cover will extend at an acute angle between thehip/thigh support and the seatback, thereby giving support to the lowerback of the passenger that would otherwise not be present. Thisadditional support is generally in the lumbar region, which often is anarea of discomfort during long periods of travel. In particular, theweight of the passenger will effectively anchor the seating pad assemblyto the seat at locations where the pelvic area and the upper back orshoulder blades exert forces on the seating pad assembly. However, asling-like effect or cradling effect will be created between theseangularly aligned supports or anchor locations and will extend throughthe lumbar region of the back. Thus, the lumbar region of the back willbe supported or cradled comfortably by the dimensionally stable wovencover in those situations where the physiology of the passenger will notcause a sufficient load to generate significant deformation of theviscoelastic foam material at locations aligned with the lumbar region.

The desirable effects of the above-described closely engaging woveninner cover will be substantially unaffected by any outer cover that maybe used. Thus, the assembly of a viscoelastic foam cushion with a woveninner cover can be used with any outer cover while still achieving theabove-described advantages of the woven closely engaging inner cover.

The combination of the viscoelastic foam cushion with the woven coverthat closely engages and encloses the viscoelastic foam cushion canachieve adequate cushioning with a thinner viscoelastic foam cushion.Even a small reduction in pad thickness can achieve a noticeablereduction in carrying weight and a small but significant decrease inmaterial cost.

The seating pad assembly may comprise a main pad and at least oneextension that is removable from the main pad. The extension also maycomprise a viscoelastic foam and inner cover surrounding theviscoelastic foam and an outer cover removably attached to theviscoelastic foam.

The extension may be attached to the outer cover of the main pad along aconnection line extending transverse to the front-to-rear direction orthe vertical direction. The area of connection between the main pad andthe extension preferably is flexible so that the extension can berotated through at least 180° between an extended position where theextension is substantially coplanar with the main pad and a foldedcondition where the extension is in substantially face-to-face contactwith an adjacent area of the main pad. The extended position of theextension relative to the main pad will be used when the seat is abusiness class transportation seat or first class transportation seat.The folded condition may be used when the seat conforms to the lengthdimensions of the main pad. The folded pad then can be used as a headpillow or leg extension or leg rest if desired by the traveler.

The extension preferably is attachable to the main pad by an attachmentdevice that is easily attachable and detachable by a traveler on thetransportation vehicle. In this regard, a conventional zipperconceivably could be employed, but may be too cumbersome to bemanipulated conveniently by the traveler. A tongue and groove connectioncan be used instead of a zipper but also may be difficult to manipulate.A mateable pair of hook and loop fabric fasteners may be employed, suchas those sold under the trademark VELCRO. However, there is a concernthat the hook component of some hook and loop fastening combinations cancause skin irritation and could damage clothing of the traveler or coulddamage a seat cover of the seat. Accordingly, a flap may be attached tothe outer cover and can be moved between a protective position where theflap covers the hook and loop fastening device and a use position wherethe hook and loop fastening device is exposed for attachment to a matingfastening device. The flap may be provided with a hook or loop fastenerthat can attach to the hook or loop fastener on the outer cover of thepad. Thus, the flap can be secured releasably in the protectiveposition. The hook or loop fastener on both the outer cover and on theflap may be a strip that extends continuously across the seating padassembly. However, local regions with a hook or loop fastener may besufficient, particularly for the flap.

The at least one extension may comprise first and second extensions atopposite longitudinal ends of the main pad. Each extension may beattached releasably to the main pad.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a prior art airline seat in anerect condition.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the airline seat ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a seating pad assembly in accordance withan embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the airline seatsimilar to FIG. 2, but showing the seating pad assembly positioned onthe seat prior to having a passenger sit on the seat.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5, butshowing the airline passenger sitting on the seating pad assembly.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the shape changes of the viscoelasticfoam cushion and the inner cover during use.

FIG. 8 is a graphic image of pressure mapping of a prior art seating padassembly with a knit cover.

FIG. 9 is a graphic image of pressure mapping of a seating pad assemblyof the invention with a cover made of a woven fabric that closelyengages the viscolelastic foam.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a seating pad assembly in accordance withan alternate embodiment of the invention where the seating pad assemblyincludes a main pad and an extension.

FIG. 11 is a bottom plan view of an end region of the main pad shown inFIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the extension shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged side elevational view showing a flap with aloop-type fastener folded over and attached to a hook-type fastener onthe main pad.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged side elevational view showing a flap with aloop-type fastener folded over and attached to a hook-type fastener ofthe extension.

FIG. 15 is an exploded side elevational view showing the hook-typefastener and the loop-type fastener of the main pad disposed in opposedrelationship to the hook-type fastener and the loop-type fastener of theextension of the tongue and groove connection structures.

FIG. 16 is a side elevational view showing the extension connected tothe main pad.

FIG. 16 is a front elevational view of the fully erect airline seat ofFIG. 1 with a main pad of a seating pad assembly in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 17 is a side elevational view of the airline seat of FIG. 16 in apartially reclined position and with the main pad of the seating padassembly of FIG. 11.

FIG. 18 is a side elevational view of the airline seat of FIG. 17 in thepartially reclined position showing the main pad of the seating padassembly of FIG. 13 along with an extension folded over from the mainpad to function as a head pillow.

FIG. 19 is a side elevational view of the airline seat of FIG. 17 in apartially reclined position and with the main pad of the seating padassembly of FIG. 17 along with an extension separated from the main padand positioned as a pillow for additional lumbar support.

FIG. 20 is a side elevational view of an airline seat longer than theairline seat shown in FIGS. 17-19 and with the main pad and theextension of the seating pad assembly in an extended and unfoldedorientation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A seating pad assembly in accordance with the subject invention isintended primarily for use on a transportation seat, such as the airlineseat 100 shown in FIG. 1. The seat 100 includes a hip/thigh support 102disposed between two armrests 104. A back support 106 is hinged to thehip/thigh support 102 and can move between the substantially erectposition shown in FIG. 1 and a partly reclined position (not shown). Theback support 106 in some airline seats 100 also can be pivoted to afully reclined condition where the back support 106 is substantially inthe same plane as the hip/thigh support 102. A gap 108 necessarilyexists between the hip/thigh support 102 and the back support 106 toaccommodate the relative pivoting movement. The seat 100 also may have afoot rest 110 that is hinged relative to the hip/thigh support 102. Agap 112 exists between the hip/thigh support 102 and the foot rest 110.Other cracks, creases and seams 114, 116, 118 and 120 exist at otherlocations on the hip/thigh support 102 and the back support 106.

A seating pad assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the inventionis identified generally by the number 10 in FIGS. 3-7. The seating padassembly 10 includes an inner cushion 12 that consists of or comprises aviscoelastic foam that may be similar to those that are available fromseveral commercial sources. However, a preferred inner cushion 12consists of a viscoelastic foam that has a density of about 5 lb/ft³ anda firmness of about 30-40 lbf, as a measure of Indentation ForceDeflection (IFD). A viscoelastic foam with a firmness or IFD near theupper end of this range, such as 40 lbf IFD, is well suited for use witha seating pad assembly that has a woven cover as explained below. Theseating pad assembly 10 also includes an inner cover 14 and an outercover 16. The inner cover 14 is disposed removably in surroundingrelationship around the viscoelastic foam cushion 12 and the outer cover16 is disposed removably in surrounding relationship around the innercover 14. The viscoelastic foam cushion 12 is substantially rectangularand has opposite sides 18 and 20 and opposite first and second ends 22and 24 extending between the sides 18 and 20. The sides 18 and 20 arespaced apart by a width W that preferably is in a range of 16-20 inches.The ends 22 and 24 are spaced from one another by a length L1 thatsubstantially corresponds to a sum of the lengths of the hip/thighsupport 102 and the back support 106 of a typical transportation seat100, as shown in FIG. 1. For example, a length L1 of the viscoelasticfoam cushion 12 may be approximately 42 inches. The thickness of theviscoelastic foam cushion 12 may be about 0.75-1.00 inch. The thicknessof the pad illustrated in FIGS. 5-7 is exaggerated to help show theeffect of the load applied by the passenger.

The inner cover 14 is formed from a dimensionally stable, woven fabricand is dimensioned to closely engage and encapsulate the viscoelasticfoam cushion 12. The woven fabric of the inner cover 14 can roll orbend, but will not stretch. Thus, the inner cover 14 will change shapein response to weight of the passenger and will permit a correspondingdeformation of the viscoelastic foam cushion 12 at those locations wherethe weight of the passenger applies direct forces on the seating padassembly 10. Additionally, the inner cover 14 will permit somedeformation of the lower surface of the viscoelastic foam cushion 12into cracks and crevices of the airline seat 100. However, the innercover 14 will prevent unimpeded deformation of the viscoelastic foamcushion 12 while still permitting comfort for the typical passenger(e.g. 195 pounds) and preventing a bottoming out of the ischium of thepelvis of the passenger at cracks and crevices in the seat 100.Furthermore, the dimensionally stable inner cover 14 will cause theseating pad assembly to behave as if the viscoelastic foam cushion ismade from a firmer more dense material, while still providing comfort,with the passenger effectively floating or being suspended above thesurface discontinuities of the seat. The inner cover preferably is wovenfrom cotton yarns, polyester yarns or a woven blend of cotton andpolyester yarns. The woven inner cover may be constructed of a fabrichaving a thread count in a range from a minimum warp and weft ofapproximately 110×76 to a maximum warp and weft of approximately173×113. Additionally, the fabric has a yarn size in a range of 32×32 to50×50 singles. Furthermore, the woven inner cover may have a threadedcount of approximately 110×76 (warp and filling), and a yarn size of40-45 singles. An inner cover formed from these fabrics has the proventensile strength to cause the otherwise pliant formulation ofviscoelastic foam to provide additional support, particularly in thearea between the hip/thigh support 102 and the back support 106 thatexists when the back support is at a substantially erect or partlyinclined orientation relative to the hip/thigh support 102. In thisregard, at least the upper surface of the inner cover 14 will extend atapproximately a 45°-60° angle from the hip/thigh support 102 to the backsupport 106 to provide support for lower regions of the back of thepassenger substantially corresponding to the lumbar region, asillustrated in FIG. 6.

The combination of a dimensionally stable woven inner cover that closelyencapsulates a viscoelastic foam with a relatively high density of about5 lb/ft³ and a relatively high firmness of about 40 lbf surprisingly hasbeen found to provide a high degree of comfort and support on an airlineseat. The pad assembly conforms sufficiently to surface discontinuitiesin the seat and enables the passenger to float above the seat withoutbottoming out.

The outer cover 16 is formed from a material that is stain resistant,antimicrobial, hydrophobic and easily cleaned upon removal of the outercover 16 from the inner cover 14 and the viscoelastic foam cushion 12encapsulated therein. The outer cover 16 may have a zipper or other suchclosure to permit easy removal of the inner cover 14 and theviscoelastic foam cushion 12 encapsulated therein. The outer cover 16may further include areas of high friction on the surface of the outercover that will face the seat. For example, small elastomeric regions 17may be attached permanently to the fabric of the outer cover forfrictionally engaging the seat and resisting slippage or collapsing ofthe seating pad assembly 10 that has been placed on the seat 100.Alternatively, at least the surface of the outer cover 16 facing theseat 100 may comprise fibers with appropriate friction characteristicsor that can be modified at least locally to have frictioncharacteristics to prevent slippage on the seat 100. When the seatingpad assembly is to be used in a personal automobile, the outer cover 16may have straps, a draw string or the like to wrap around the upper partof the back support 106 of the seat 100 or around the head rest supportof the seat 100 to hold the seating pad assembly 10 in a positionwithout collapsing or bunching up. Such straps are identifiedschematically in FIG. 6 by the reference number 16S. The straps 16Spreferably extend from locations on the seating pad assembly spacedinward about 4.0 inches (about 10 cm) from the side edges of the seatingpad assembly 10 so that the straps 16S extend from locations on theseating pad assembly 10 that will align with the supports of anadjustable headrest on an automobile seat.

FIGS. 8 and 9 graphically display the effects of the subject inventionusing pressure mapping. In this regard, FIG. 8 displays the results ofpressure mapping on a viscoelastic seating pad assembly with a knitcover substantially as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,894. FIG. 9displays the results of pressure mapping on a viscoelastic seating padassembly with a woven cover that closely encapsulates the viscoelasticpad. The region 202 in FIG. 8 corresponds to the region of theviscoelastic pad assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,894 that supports thebuttocks of the passenger above the hip/thigh support 102 of the airlineseat 100. The region 206 in FIG. 8 corresponds to the region of theviscoelastic pad assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,894 that supports theupper back of the passenger relative to the back support 106 of theairline seat 100. The region 208 and FIG. 8 corresponds to an areaaligned with the lower back or lumbar region of a passenger. The moredense shading areas in FIG. 8 correspond to areas where higher pressuresare exerted between the passenger and the prior art seating pad. Thepressure exerted between the passenger and the prior art seating padassembly is essentially nonexistent regions of the prior art seating padassembly opposed to the lower back or lumbar region of the passenger.The relative absence of pressure reflects the stretching of the knitcover and the tendency of this viscoelastic foam within the knit coverto conform to the gap 108 between the hip/thigh support 102 and the backsupport 106 of the airline seat 100.

In contrast, the region 302 in FIG. 9 corresponds to the region of theviscoelastic pad assembly of the subject invention that supports thebuttocks of the passenger above the hip/thigh support 102 of the airlineseat 100. The region 306 in FIG. 9 corresponds to the region of theviscoelastic pad assembly of the subject invention that supports theupper back of the passenger relative to the back support 106 of theairline seat 100. The region 308 in FIG. 9 corresponds to an areaaligned with the lower back or lumbar region of a passenger. The moredense shading in the region 308 of FIG. 9 indicates that the seating padassembly of the invention with the woven cover closely engaging theviscoelastic foam provides much greater support for the lower back orlumbar region of the passenger due to the hammocking effect describedabove.

The pressure mapping in region 202 of FIG. 8 of the prior artviscoelastic pad assembly and the pressure mapping in the region 302 ofFIG. 9 for the viscoelastic pad assembly of the subject invention showsimilar pressure responses across the buttocks and the hip/thigh support102 of the seat 100, thereby indicating that the woven cover thatclosely engages the viscoelastic pad of the subject invention does notadversely affect the desirable performance of the prior art seating padassembly at the weight-bearing areas of the seating pad assembly opposedto the buttocks. As a result, the seating pad assembly of the subjectinvention will allow the passenger to float above the surfacediscontinuities of the hip/thigh support 102 of the airline seat 100.Similarly, the pressure mapping in the region 206 of FIG. 8 of the priorart viscoelastic pad assembly and the pressure mapping in the region 306of FIG. 9 for the viscoelastic pad assembly of the subject inventionshow similar pressure responses across the upper back and the backsupport 106 of the seat 100, thereby indicating that the woven coverthat closely engages the viscoelastic pad of the subject invention doesnot adversely affect the desirable performance of the prior art seatingpad assembly at the weight-bearing areas of the seating pad assemblyopposed to the upper back. Accordingly, the seating pad assembly of thesubject invention allows the passenger to float over surfacediscontinuities of the seat opposed to the main weight-bearing areas ofthe buttocks and upper back in a manner similar to the prior art, butprovides very significantly more support across the critical lumbarregion of the back when compared to the prior art seating pad assemblywith a knit cover.

Thus, the deformation of the viscoelastic foam cushion 12 will begreatest at those locations where the forces exerted by the weight ofthe passenger are greatest. More particularly, the pelvic area and theupper back area of the passenger will exert the greatest forces on theseating pad assembly 10, thereby causing the greatest deformation atthose locations. Additionally, the viscoelastic foam cushion 12 willexert the greatest conformal support on the passenger at thoselocations. However, the dimensionally stable woven inner cover 14achieves a surprising benefit at locations between the pelvic area andupper back area of the passenger. In this regard, the pelvic area andthe upper back area will effectively form anchors or supports againstthe seat 100. The upper surface of the inner cover 14 will extendbetween those anchors for providing very effective and comfortingsupport for the lumbar region of the person on the seat with lesssupport exerted by the viscoelastic foam cushion 12. This effect isillustrated graphically in FIGS. 6-9 by the lumbar support region 30that closely follows and supports the lumbar region of the back acrosssurface discontinuities of the airline seat 100 even though there willbe significantly less or no deformation of the viscoelastic foam cushion12 along the lumbar support region 30.

FIGS. 10-20 show an embodiment of the invention that includes anadditional feature that is not shown in the preceding figures. A seatingpad assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the invention isidentified generally by the 410 in FIGS. 10-20. The seating pad assembly410 includes a main pad 412 and an extension 414. The main pad 412comprises an inner foam cushion 416 that preferably is formed at leastpartly of a viscoelastic material, similar to those described above.However inner foam cushion of this embodiment need not be a viscoelasticfoam. The main pad 412 also includes at least one cover 417 disposed insurrounding relationship around the inner foam cushion 416. The at leastone cover 417 may comprise a woven inner cover and an outer coversubstantially as described above. The main pad 412 is substantiallyrectangular and has opposite sides 418 and 420 and opposite first andsecond ends 422 and 424 extending between the sides 418 and 420. Thesides 418 and 420 are spaced apart by a width W that preferably is in arange of 16-20 inches. The ends 422 and 424 are spaced from one anotherby a length L1 that substantially corresponds to a sum of the lengths ofthe hip/thigh support 102 and the back support 106 of a typical coachclass airline seat 100, as shown in FIG. 1. For example, a length L1 ofthe main pad 412 may be approximately 42 inches. A flexible flap 423extends from the outer cover 417 at the first end 422 of the main pad412.

The extension 414 similarly includes an inner foam cushion 436 that maybe formed at least partly of a viscoelastic material, and an at leastone cover 437 surrounds the inner foam cushion 436 of the extension 414.The extension 414 also is substantially rectangular and has oppositesides 438 and 440 defining a width W substantially equal to the width Wof the main body 412. The extension 414 further has opposite first andsecond end edges 442 and 444 defining a length L2 that may be about10-12 inches. A flexible flap 445 extends from the outer cover 436 atthe second end 444 of the extension 414.

The first end 422 of the main body 412 and the second end 444 of theextension 414 are configured to form a releasable connection assembly446. The releasable connection assembly 446 may comprise hook and loopfasteners 452 extending across the flexible flap 423 at the first end422 of the main body 412 and hook and loop fasteners 454 extendingacross the flexible flap 445 at the second end 444 of the extension 414.

More particularly, the flexible flap 423 at the first and 422 of themain body 412 has a strip of a hook-type fastener 452H extending acrossthe flexible flap 423 at a position near the main body 412 and a stripof loop-type fastener 452L extending across the flap at a position sothat the hook-type fastener 452H is between the main body 412 and theloop-type fastener 452L.

Similarly, the flexible flap 445 of the extension 414 has a strip of ahook-type fastener 454H extending across the flexible flap 445 at aposition substantially adjacent the pad of the extension 414 and aloop-type fastener extending across the flexible flap 445 at a positionso that the hook-type fastener 454H extending across the flexible flap445 at a position so that the hook-type fastener 454H is between the padof the extension and the loop-type fastener 454L.

When the extension 414 is not required to be attached to the main body412, the flexible flap 423 of the main body 412 is folded so that theloop-type fastener 452L releasably engages the hook-type fastener 452Hfor releasably holding the flexible flap 423 in the folded protectiveposition so that the hook-type fastener 452H cannot damage clothing ofthe passenger. Similarly, the flexible flap 445 of the extension isfolded so that the loop-type fastener 454L releasably engages thehook-type fastener 454H for releasably holding the flexible flap in thefolded protective position so that the hook-type fastener 454H cannotdamage clothing of the passenger or irritate the skin of the passenger.

When the extension 414 is required, the passenger merely unfolds theflexible flaps 423 and 445 so that the respective fasteners 452H, 452L,454H and 454L are exposed. The flaps then are positioned in opposedrelationship to one another and the loop-type fastener 454L of theextension 414 is pressed against and engaged with the hook-type fastener452H of the main body 412. Simultaneously, the hook-type fastener 454Eight of the extension 414 is pressed against and engaged with theloop-type fastener 452L of the main body 412. If the passengersubsequently determines that the extension is not necessary, it merelyis necessary for the passenger to disengage the fasteners 454H and 454Lof the extension 414 from the corresponding fasteners 452L and 452H ofthe main body. The flexible flaps 423 and 445 then are folded into theprotective position and retained in that position until such time thatthe extension may be required.

The seating pad assembly 410 comprised of the main pad 412 and theextension 414 can be used with the coach class seat 100 in the mannerillustrated in FIGS. 16-18. The main pad 412 in the illustratedembodiment has a length L1 substantially corresponding to the combinedlength of the hip/thigh support 102 and the back support 106. Asillustrated in FIG. 18, the pad assembly 410 is positioned with theextension 414 folded from the first end 422 of the main pad 412 so thatthe extension 414 lies in substantially face-to-face engagement with asurface area of the main pad 412 adjacent the first end 422. In thisconfiguration, the extension 414 effectively functions as a head pillow.

FIG. 19 illustrates an optional arrangement where the extension 414 isseparated from the main pad 412 and positioned by the traveler as alumbar support. Of course, in a variation of this option, the extension414 is separated from the main pad 412 and not used at all. The travelerwho knows he or she will be flying coach class can leave the extension414 at home for a trip taken while flying in coach class.

FIG. 20 illustrates the seating pad assembly 410 used with a first classor business seat 100FC. The combined length of the hip/thigh support102FC and the back support 106FC of the first class seat 100FC exceedsthe corresponding dimensions of the coach seat 100 by an amount thatapproximately equals the length L2 of the extension 414. As a result,the seating pad assembly 410 is used with the extension 414 extending asa substantially coplanar continuation of the main pad 412. In thissituation, the free end edge 442 of the extension 414 substantiallyaligns with the top edge of the back support 106FC, while the second end424 of the main body 412 aligns with the forward end of the foot rest110.

What is claimed is:
 1. A seat assembly, comprising: a seat having asubstantially horizontal hip/thigh support and a back support extendingangularly from the hip/thigh support, with at least one corner regiondefined between the hip/thigh support and the back support; and aseating pad assembly removably positioned on the seat and having a foamcushion formed at least partly from a viscoelastic foam, the foamcushion having a top end disposed at an area of the back support of theseat spaced from the hip/thigh support when the seating pad assembly ispositioned on the seat, and a bottom end disposed at an area of thehip/thigh support of the seat spaced from the back support when theseating pad assembly is positioned on the seat, the foam cushionextending continuously between the top and bottom ends, and the seatingpad assembly further having at least one cover including a dimensionallystable woven fabric cover extending continuously from the top end to thebottom end of the foam cushion and covering and closely encapsulatingthe foam cushion from the top end to the bottom end, with the at leastone cover being non-stretchable in a direction from the top end to thebottom end of the foam cushion, and the at least one cover furtherincluding opposite first and second outer sheets, the first outer sheetfacing toward the seat and having selected regions that comprise atleast one material with frictional characteristics that resist slidingof the seating pad assembly when placed on the seat, wherein the foamcushion deforms resiliently in response to forces exerted at least in apelvic area and an upper back area of a person sitting on the seat, andwherein the woven fabric cover conforms to and supports a lumbar regionof the back by cradling the person sitting on the seat at a positionabove the at least one corner region defined between the hip/thighsupport and the back support.
 2. The seat assembly of claim 1, whereinthe woven fabric cover is an inner cover, the seating pad assemblyfurther comprising an outer cover mounted over the inner cover, thefirst and second outer sheets being part of the outer cover.
 3. The seatassembly of claim 2, wherein the at least one material of the firstouter sheet of the outer cover with frictional characteristics thatresist sliding of the seating pad assembly when placed on the seatcomprises regions of elastomeric material attached to the at least onematerial.
 4. The seat assembly of claim 2, wherein the woven fabric ofthe inner cover is formed from yarns that comprise dimensionally stablesynthetic yarns.
 5. The seat assembly of claim 4, wherein the yarns ofthe inner cover have a yarn size of 32×32 to 50×50 singles.
 6. The seatassembly of claim 5, wherein the woven fabric of the inner cover has athreaded count of approximately 110×76 (warp and filling).
 7. The seatassembly of claim 1, wherein the woven fabric of the cover is formedfrom yarns that comprise dimensionally stable synthetic yarns.
 8. Theseat assembly of claim 7, wherein the yarns of the cover have a yarnsize of 32×32 to 50×50 singles.
 9. The seat assembly of claim 8, whereinthe woven fabric of the cover has a threaded count of approximately110×76 (warp and filling).
 10. The seating pad assembly of claim 1,wherein the foam has an Indentation Force Deflection (IFD) in a range of30 lbf IFD to 40 lbf IFD.
 11. The seat assembly of claim 1 wherein thefoam cushion consists entirely of a viscoelastic foam.
 12. The seatassembly of claim 1, wherein the seat has a headrest mounted to the backsupport by headrest supports that are configured to permit verticaladjustments of the headrest relative to the back support of the seat,the seating pad assembly having straps disposed and dimensioned to wraparound the headrest supports for anchoring an upper end of the seatingpad assembly on the back support of the seat.
 13. The seat assembly ofclaim 12, wherein the straps extend from locations on the seating padassembly spaced inward from opposite side edges of the seating padassembly.
 14. The seat assembly of claim 2, wherein the outer cover ofthe seating pad assembly further comprises a first releasably engageableconnection structure in proximity to at least one of the top and bottomends; and the seating pad assembly further comprises an extension padhaving an end and a second releasably engageable connection structure inproximity to the end of the extension pad, the first and secondreleasably engageable connection structures being releasably engageablewith one another for expanding a length of the seating pad assembly. 15.The seat assembly of claim 14, wherein the first and second releasablyengageable connection structures comprise hook and loop fasteners. 16.The seat assembly of claim 14, wherein the outer cover of the seatingpad assembly further comprises a first flap in proximity to the firstreleasably engageable connection structure, the first flap beingconfigured and dimensioned for selectively covering the first releasablyengageable connection structure, and wherein the extension pad furthercomprises a second flap in proximity to the second releasably engageableconnection structure, the second flap being configured and dimensionedfor selectively covering the second releasably engageable connectionstructure.
 17. The seat assembly of claim 16, wherein the first flap isconfigured to releasably engage the first releasably engageableconnection structure when the first flap is in a position for coveringthe first releasably engageable connection structure, and wherein thesecond flap is configured to releasably engage the second releasablyengageable connection structure when the second flap is in a positionfor covering the second releasably engageable connection structure.